Patriarchy and the Politics of Beauty

Allan D. Cooper is professor of political science at North Carolina Central University.

• Chapter One: Duality and Negation Chapter Two: Beauty in Antiquity Chapter Three: Medieval BeautyChapter Four: Modern BeautyChapter Five: A Feminist Critique of Beauty

Cooper (North Carolina Central Univ.) offers a thorough account of how the concept of beauty has been used by political theorists to establish control over subjects, especially, of course, women. The intersection of sexuality, race, age, and beauty has been widely discussed, as in Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth (CH, Jan'92, 29-3031), Susan Bordo's Unbearable Weight (1993), Maxine Leeds Craig's Ain't I a Beauty Queen? (CH, Jan'03, 40-3097), and Katerina Deliovsky's White Femininity (2010), among other works. This text complements its predecessors by analyzing how patriarchal structures were justified by philosophers around the world in each historical epoch. Cooper’s background in human rights and political identity informs her approach to understanding how ancient and modern theorists have conceptualized beauty in a way that benefits male power. Students already familiar with the canons of political theory and those studying human rights, feminism, and gender studies will find that this volume offers an insightful look into how beauty standards simultaneously transform over time but continuously serve the interests of those in power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.